Friday night's loss to Southern Wesleyan University (16-25, 7-15) left coach Mark Brew scratching his head and wondering why his Lee baseball team (34-9, 18-4) was not ready to face the Warriors in the opener of a three-game SSAC series.
Left-handed pitcher Matt Craig pitched a complete nine-inning game and gave up only two earned runs in SWU's 4-2 victory over the NAIA's No. 1-ranked team. Craig scattered eight hits while striking out four and walking only one hitter as he improved to 5-3 on the year.
On the other hand, it was not one of the better performances for Lee ace hurler Myles Smith (8-3). The right-hander worked 6 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits, three earned runs, walked six and struck out three.
"Myles just couldn't get his breaking pitch over for strikes tonight," noted Brew. "We were able to work our way out of several jams or the final score could have been worse. Southern Wesleyan just out-played us tonight and I don't have answers for why we didn't compete better."
The visiting Warriors scored in the top of the first inning. After two outs were recorded, Matt Arant walked and went to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a RBI single by Thomas Floyd. The Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Jili Lara reached on an error and advanced to third on a single by Wendell Ray. Lara scored on a balk.
Southern Wesleyan sent seven batters to the plate in the seventh inning. JJ Julian walked. Michael Hyman doubled to place runners at second and third. Arant walked for the third time in the game and then the Warriors ironically sent two runners across home plate when Lee hurlers hit back-to-back batters with the bases jammed.
The Flames finally got on the board against Craig in the eighth inning. Danny Canela doubled and scored on Karsten Strieby's single. The Flames threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Robert Duran singled and Brandon Rader doubled to drive home Duran. Brady Renner was hit by a pitch but back-to-back ground-outs ended the Lee comeback.
The Flames had four extra-base hits in the loss. Canela had a single to go with his double. Strieby had a two-base knock to go along with an RBI one-base hit. Duran also had a pair of hits, while Jordan Stewart doubled in the second.
Hyman doubled and singled for the winners and Floyd was the only other Warrior with a two-hit game.
The Flames used four hurlers in the loss. Jeremy Stawychny came on for 1 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and no earned runs. Andy Hillis pitched 1/3 of an inning and recorded a strike-out, while Kyle Briner got the final two outs and did not allow a hit.
Saturday's doubleheader is slated to get underway at 12 noon. It is Parents Weekend and the coaches and players will honor the families with a banquet after Saturday's doubleheader.
